Cheat Days or Every Day?

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chubswonky
chubswonky Posts: 195
in Food and Nutrition
A friend of mine is also trying to lose weight and INSISTS that having a "cheat day" is the way to go. I feel like what I'm trying to do isn't a diet and don't want to really "cheat" at anything, so I tend to just eat what I want but include it in my calorie count.

So what have you found to work better for you? Are you mostly super strict and have a cheat day or just work with what you like orrr something totally different? Tell me! :)
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Replies

  • chanstriste13
    chanstriste13 Posts: 3,277 Member
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    i'm in your school of thought. i don't have cheat days, and i don't have diet days either. i eat what i want in moderation, and do my best not to go over my calories. i dig this because i feel like i can keep at this forever - i'm not sacraficing anything and i'm not depriving myself - i'm just making smart choices and actually thinking about what i put in my belly!
  • crystal_sapphire
    crystal_sapphire Posts: 1,205 Member
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    i'm an all or nothing person. i ate ****ty for a few days a little over a month ago and have not been on track since :(

    i don't think this is a norm though, but worth mentioning for some maybe similar to me
  • dyiaane
    dyiaane Posts: 271 Member
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    I like having one day that I'm not too strict. So usually Friday or Saturday is my cheat day. Then I just work out hard the next day.
  • jmijaressf
    jmijaressf Posts: 215
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    Me too. I eat in moderation as well. If I end up over-doing it with the calories one day and I can't work out to make up for it, I make sure that the rest of the week that I'm as disciplined as possible with the foods I eat.
  • Huffdogg
    Huffdogg Posts: 1,934 Member
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    There are a lot of people who insist that when you are using a caloric deficit diet, like MFP uses, that it is useful to occasionally go over your budget (not a blowout, but a bit over), because your metabolism gets worked up with the extra fuel and it helps "stoke the fires," so to speak. It's worth some research.
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
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    i'm in your school of thought. i don't have cheat days, and i don't have diet days either. i eat what i want in moderation, and do my best not to go over my calories. i dig this because i feel like i can keep at this forever - i'm not sacraficing anything and i'm not depriving myself - i'm just making smart choices and actually thinking about what i put in my belly!

    That's how I feel...unfortunately, having struggled with my weight for entire life, I don't really think I have a choice but to keep track of what I'm eating for the rest of my life. Once I hit my goal, I will get able to eat a few more calories per day and may not be as strict but I don't think I have a choice
  • hyde1977
    hyde1977 Posts: 476 Member
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    I am using this an opportunity to change my relationship with food....one cheat day leads to another....if you want to eat something....EAT IT....just track it....We are not perfect everyday.....you need to still enjoy things....

    My thoughts are like yours....

    Find what works for you...but I find that if I want something I eat it....and I know that its okay....
  • funauntsherry
    funauntsherry Posts: 41 Member
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    i don't have cheat days, but weekends are a bit dodgy. I always count everything and i try to get enough exercise to "earn" some wiggle room ;)
  • lorisowers
    lorisowers Posts: 64
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    I pretty much have what I want everyday. I just eat smaller portions. I do feel like maybe a day of not worrying to much is alright once a week or for special days.
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
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    i am not dieting.
    i am eating the way i now intend to live for the rest of my life.. and i fully expect to have hamburgers and choc cake, on occasion, *L* i just fit it all into my daily plan now... cheating implies something that cannot be maintained for life (imho *S*)
  • cmnkyrun16
    cmnkyrun16 Posts: 10
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    Personally, I tend not to buy my achilles heels so they're just not in the house for when I feel like "cheating." I kind of follow the idea that if I want it that bad, I'll walk the three miles to the groccery store to get it. so then it's not cheating. It's motivation. ;)
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
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    i don't have cheat days, but weekends are a bit dodgy. I always count everything and i try to get enough exercise to "earn" some wiggle room ;)

    Weekends are definitely tough for me, too! I'm only a few months in and have been really stressed yesterday. I think I need to find my groove! I have a hard time not going too crazy with food.
  • monoxidechick
    monoxidechick Posts: 339
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    I dont have regular cheat days scheduled, but I do allow myself to go over for some occasions. I may have some drinks at a concert, some extra food when out with friends, or just a day where I watched the amounts but ate at a putluck or something where it is really hard to log every item. I log these days if it is easy but if it is many things that I would be guessing at anyway, I just end the day knowing I was over and will do better tomorrow. I do not allow this to happen often and its my system to know that I am making smart choices 95% of the time, but a girl just has to go out and have fun also.
  • rileysowner
    rileysowner Posts: 8,239 Member
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    I also have struggled with my weight all my life, but those high calorie days, and sometimes more as I have done weeks in the last year where I didn't count calories super carefully, help keep you losing weight. I have never had a plateau in a year of weight loss. I don't usually go completely crazy, but do have times where I eat substantial amounts over my calorie budget. The key is don't do it a lot, and get right back at your careful eating the next day.
  • haldeman5
    haldeman5 Posts: 121 Member
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    I am the same way...no cheat days for me. I eat healthy but I also figure out ways to get my cravings in my diet in a healthy way. I also eat in moderation and it has worked great for me. If I know there is day where I may eat a few more calories I just work out that day to make up for the calories:-) Good Luck! Only you know what is best for your body:-)
  • chubswonky
    chubswonky Posts: 195
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    i am not dieting.
    i am eating the way i now intend to live for the rest of my life.. and i fully expect to have hamburgers and choc cake, on occasion, *L* i just fit it all into my daily plan now... cheating implies something that cannot be maintained for life (imho *S*)

    That's how I feel, too. I'm going to have to keep up this routine for a lonnnnnnnng time- it just has to be my way of life and i don't ever want to feel like I'm doing something I'm not supposed to when I'm enjoying food!
  • lil_missfit
    lil_missfit Posts: 565 Member
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    I have a small piece of chocolate everyday after dinner (30-50 cals) I also have one cheat "meal" per week (not a cheat day), which is really something not that terrible but high in sodium maybe:)) That's it....however....I will say it took me a while to get here....I use to do cheat days but would spend the whole week making up for it.....so I quit the cheat day thing. If you think about it, on a cheat day, you could eat well over 3500 calories of food EASY depending on what you eat. Is it worth gaining a whole pound back.....or carry tons of water from the sodium intake. Plus you may even feel miserable (mentally and physically). Allowing myself something "naughty" at the end of the day like a 45 cal mini reese cup is enough for me:)) I have really adjusted and become satisfied with just that:))
  • hikingmonk
    hikingmonk Posts: 134 Member
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    I agree with the others who have said not to look at it too much like a diet. While generally speaking you probably shouldn't be tossing down tons of pizza and cupcakes, you also shouldn't forbid eating them from time to time. Just eat smaller portions, log the calories, and move on to the next meal.

    Certainly we have to push ourselves a bit in order to lose weight, but giving yourself the freedom to eat anything, in moderation, while logging the calories is a very liberating and powerful experience. I'm certain it's one reason I didn't succeed in the past.
    My 'cheat' days turned to all out binge fests, which led to completely falling off the wagon for weeks on end.

    No more cheat days for me, but no more super restrictive diets either.
  • LorinaLynn
    LorinaLynn Posts: 13,247 Member
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    I eat things I love every day, and just make it fit.

    There's some times when the calorie count just doesn't matter to me, like holidays or parties. I know that one day isn't going to ruin everything I've done, so I just enjoy myself and don't stress about it.

    I'm in the homestretch, too, with under 10 pounds to go. I'm in no big rush to get there. I've always said, "It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle," but my lifestyle is changing to involve more food. I've upped my calories to only lose a half pound a week, so I have more wiggle room. I try to stay under on sodium, over on fiber, and around 100 on protein, but after that... I will gladly enjoy a cookie or two. :happy:
  • KTGator
    KTGator Posts: 78
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    On weekends, I typically won't count my calories -- I just found that if I do, I get to obsessed with my calorie counting overall. But, I still try to make healthy choices - I don't decide that, since I'm not counting calories, I can go out and get myself some fast food or anything. I just don't obsess over the numbers those days.

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